Sliding support for drop-leaf tables



ug. 3, 1954 w. A. DUNCAN 2,585,488

SLIDING SUPPORT FOR DROP-LEAF TABLES Filed Feb. 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 3, Y1954 SLIDING SUPPORT FOR DROP-LEAF TABLES William A. Duncan, Statesville, N. C., assignor to Acme Homes Metal Works, Inc.. a corporation of North Carolina Application February 29, 1952, Serial No. 274,219

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates generally to drop leaf table constructions of the type in which one or more drop leaves are hinged at the edge of a main table surface member, and more particularly to an improved means for supporting the drop leaves of such tables in raised position when desired.

As is well known, a considerable variety of devices, such as jointed brace elements, extensible arm members and gate legs, and the like, are used to provide a support for table drop leaves when they are raised. It is also Well known that such commonly employed devices are usually characterized by an inferior supporting action or by difficulty and inconvenience in manipulation.

According to the present invention, a dro-p leaf supporting means is provided which is formed of metal so as to afford fully adequate supporting strength, which is arranged to allow a particularly effective supporting action, and

which is constructed in a manner that renders it easily and simply manipulated, all as is described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation illustrating the arrangement of a drop leaf table top with the drop leaves in lowered position and with drop leaf supporting means installed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan View corresponding generally to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail in side elevation corresponding generally to Fig. 1 but showing the illustrated supporting means of the present invention extended in supporting relation to a raised drop leaf;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional detail of the supporting means taken substantially on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a further side elevation comparable to Fig. l but illustrating the manner of installing a supporting means embodying the present invention in a drop leaf table having a rim arranged below the main table surface member.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and more particularly at first to Figs. 1 and 2, drop leaf supporting means arranged in accordance with the present invention are indicated generally by the reference numeral I0 in the position they assume when installed as by attaching screws I2 at the bottom or underside face of a main table surface member I4 of a drop leaf table, the drop leaves being shown at I6 hinged in the usual manner as at I8 along opposite side edges of the main table surface member I4.

The drop leaves I6 are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in lowered position, and it will be seen that the supporting means I0 of the present invention are installed at the underside of the main surface member I4 adjacent these drop leaves I6. The supporting means I0 4comprise a bracket member 2li having flanges 22 formed with suitable apertures for engagement by the above noted attaching screws i2, and having an intermediate channel-shaped portion 24 in which a slide member 26 is slidably assembled in telescoped relation. As shown, the channel-shaped portion 24 of the bracket 2) may suitably be of generally rectangular cross section (compare Fig. 4), and the slide member 26 of corresponding cross sectional form with a longitudinal slot as at 2B in one side face thereof for a purpose which will be explained presently.

With the drop leaves I6 in lowered position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the supporting means it are arranged with the slide members 2t retracted Within the brackets 2li, the supporting means I@ being installed at opposite edges of the main table surface member I4 adjacent the drop leaves I5 in staggered relation as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, when necessary, to provide clearance for the inwardly extending ends of the slide members 26 when retracted. At the other ends of the slide members 26 adjacent the drop leaves It a loop element 30 is secured for manipulating the supporting means I0 as is described further below, and this loop element 30 also serves as an abutment means in relation to the bracket 2o for limiting the retracted position of the slide member 26 therein, the loop member 3b being wider than the slide member 26 so that it is offset to strike a side wall of the bracket channel portion 24 when the slide member 26 is retracted, as-

shown in Fig. 2.

The operation of the supporting means Ii] when employed to support a drop leaf I6 in raised position is illustrated in Fig. 3 in which a slide member 26 isshown extended from its bracket 2@ in supporting relation Abeneath the drop leaf I6. The extended position of the slide member 26 for this purpose is gauged and limited by abutment or stop elements 32 and 34 fixed respectively on the bracket 20 and slide member 26 in cooperative relation as shown. In this connection. the bracket 20 may be formed with a clearance opening as at 36 in one side wall of the bracket channel portion 24 to allow convenient access' for securing of the stop element 32 by spot Welding to the other side wall thereof. Also, it should be noted that the previously mentioned longitudinal slot 28in the slide member 26 allows the slide member 26 to operate in the bracketV 3 20 without interference with the stop element 32, and that this longitudinal slot 28 also allows the slide member stop element 34 to be fixed in place easily by spot welding.

Extension of the slide members 26 in supporting relation beneath the drop leaves IS is easily manipulated from the loop elements 3i), which are formed with a solid side face as at 38 having an extending tongue portion t8 adapted for disposition interiorly at the adjacent end of the slide member 26 for spotwelding thereto, but which are otherwise constituted by a loop-shaped flange portion 42 that may be manually grasped conveniently for positioning the slide member IV2li as desired in the bracket 2G. lt should also be noted that this loop-shaped flange "portion i2 is formed in cross section with a rounded conguration at its top face 44 and is formed reentrantly adjacent the end of the slide member 26 to provide VYaseating groove yas Aat 36. The bottom face of the loop=shaped flange-portionsd may be sym- 'rnetrically formedfas'shown in the drawinga'for convenience in manufacture, or to Vallow the slide members 25 Yto be used' interchangeably in the bracliets20 vwith right or left-hand dispositions,

"but" otherwise the exact-shape ofthe bottom face Yof the flange portion-42 is immaterial.

TheI purpose of the top face configuration for the loop element-'35i as=just described is to adapt this loop element to servev additionally for wedging the drop'leaf i6-'to a level disposition in relation-to thefmain'table surface member i4 when thefsupporting'means i@ is extended beneath the drop leaf I6,Yit beingunderstood that as `manysupporting-msans.- H3 as are deemed'necessary will be spaced in relation to the length of the drop; leaf it for supporting -it-'adequately in 'raised position.- -The-wedging action of the loop elements 3b is obtained kin cooperation with contact plates*!i8'fastened at the underside ofthe drop leaves i6 as byattaching screws-5e in relation to the extended disposition ofthe drop leaf `supporting ends ofthe slide'members-ZG. These contact plates'iS are formed'with'an'inclined surface as at v52 facingv the extending endsofthe slide members' 2E, and the raised edge of this inelinedsurface portion forms ashoulder as-at "54 in the contact plates 48.

l'IheinteractionV of the loop elements-Stand in'emb'erst` in the brackets 28,"unless the assembly for the supporting means l is made extremely precise and therefore substantially more compli'cated'a'nd expensive than the' embodiment illustratedin the drawings.

The compensation forv this downward angling is accomplished as' the rounded top `iange face Mfof the vloopV el'inent comes in contact with 1the inclined surface portion 52' ofV the' contact plate and forces the drop leaf" it upward as the rounded loop element face lli rides toward the raised-edge of the inclined plate surface 52. The inclined plate surface 52 and the rounded top 'flange face 4Q are proportioned so that the drop leaf I6 will be momentarily sprung upwardly beyond a level disposition as the rounded top face 44 passes over the shoulder '54 at'the raisededge V of-the inclined' surface l52, ibut' so that the' drop f leaf I6 --will return -to a Vlevel disposition 'with fthe shoulder 54 engaged in the seating groove 46 of the loop element 3i) to lock or bias the slide member 26 releasably in its fully extended position. Whenever it is desired to lower the drop leaf I6 again, it is only necessary to push inwardly on the loop element 3i), while perhaps raising the i drop leaf I6 slightly if desired, to release the shoulder 54 from the seating groove 46 and thereby free the slide member 25 for retraction Within the bracket 20.

Fig. 5 ofthe patent drawings illustrates the manner in which supporting means Iii of the present invention may be installed in a drop leaf table construction incorporating a table rim 56 below ainain table surface member M having drop leaves f6' 'hinged thereon. As shown, it is only necessary to provide spaced notches in the upper portion of the table rim 5S as at 58 to allow clearance for installation of the supporting means i6 in the same manner and for the'same purpose as explained in detail in connection with the previous embodiment described above.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A supporting means for a table drop leaf said means being formed of metal and comprising a channel-shaped bracket Amember attachable to the underside of a main table surface adjacent a drop leaf associated therewith, a slide member assembled in telescoped relation beneath said main table surface for extension from said bracket memberin'supporting relation beneath said drop leaf when raised, said slide member and bracket member being fitted rwith cooperating abutment Aelernr-:nts limiting the extension of said slide member at a desired length beneath said drop leaf, a contact plate formed for attachment to the underside of said drop leaf in relation to the disposition of the extending end of said slide member at said limited extended length, said contact plate having an inclined surface facing said extending slide member end and forming a shoulder at its raised edge in said contact plate, and a loop element secured at said extending slide member end, said loop element being formed with a curved flange portion disposed transversely with respect to said slide member and serving as a manipulating handle for said slide member, said loop element flange portion being wider than said slide member and thereby serving as an abutment means in relation to said bracket member for limiting the retracted position of said slide member therein, and the top face of said loop element flange portion being rounded and formed reentrantly-adjacent the extending end of said slide member and thereby further serving to engage the inclined surface and shoulder of said contactplate for wedging said drop' leafto'a. level disposition and releasably locking said slide member in extended position.

'References Cited in the file of thisfpatent UNITED-STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 970,634 Matheson "-Sept.20,"l9l0 l',841,495 Kriek a Sept; 6j 1927 1,651,825 Luppert 1.Dec..6, 1927 2',003",926 YDuncannn 'J une 4, 1935 2,210,220 'Soisson -r Aug. V6.11940 

